The all-day event will feature an expanded slate of new events, including beach and ocean competitions for kids, a lifeguard and surf history pop-up museum, as well as a Tommy Bahama rum lounge and a Sierra Nevada beer garden. Hula dancers will perform throughout the day on the pier deck. Live music and an awards ceremony will follow the completion of the races for the top finishers in each of the divisions.

The pier paddle event is a benefit for Santa Monica-based Heal the Bay and its public marine education facility, the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, and is also officially sanctioned by the World Paddleboard Association, with points counting toward the WPA Championships later in the year.